Depressed loner mice get more sociable when researchers delete a memory molecule from their brains, scientists say.
科學家說，當研究人員把老鼠腦內一個記憶分子移除後，沮喪孤獨的老鼠會變得比較善交際。
This molecular therapy worked about as well as giving mice antidepressants, the researchers reported in the journal Science.
研究人員在《科學》期刊上指出，這種分子治療就如同給老鼠抗抑鬱劑一樣有效。
The finding might help treat human ills like social phobia and post-traumatic stress, the scientists say.
科學家說，這個發現有助治療人類疾病，像是社交恐懼症和創傷後壓力症。
They targeted a molecule in a section of the brain known to be related to sensations of pleasure and danger, says Dr Olivier Berton of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, one of the report's authors.
報告作者之一、德州大學西南醫學中心教授奧立佛?博頓表示，他們鎖定大腦一區內的1個分子，已知該區域與愉悅和危險知覺有關。
“We focused on this molecule in a region of the brain that people call the reward pathway, which people have studied a lot in relation to drugs that are abused,” he says.
他說：「我們聚焦在這個分子，它在被人稱為獎賞途徑的大腦區域內，人們已做了很多關於它與藥物濫用關聯性的研究。」
depressed：形容詞，沮喪的、消沈的、憂鬱的。Mary was depressed to learn of her illness.瑪莉得知自己患病，心情很沮喪。
pathway：名詞，路、途徑。They walked along the pathway toward the house.
他們沿著小路向那所房子走去。
韓政燕譯
